Wilder vs. Ortiz Preview

By Steve Ward

The time is fast approaching again where one may need to make the crucial decision, “Do I want to give my local cable/satellite provider $74.99 to watch Wilder vs. Ortiz II?” Before we delve into this conundrum, we must explore why you are in this predicament in the first place. Perhaps your favorite bar/pub/brewery/Hooters/imbibement palace is not showing the fight. Perhaps you don’t have any friends (I know this is harsh but, hey, it’s possible). Maybe you’ve been ostracized by your peers for following in the footsteps of my esteemed colleague Justin Dohnson and have indulged in one too many Tecates at party after party until things have gotten weird one too many times. Or maybe being the “Party Man” is just too much for people to handle – especially since this fight falls on the original Party Man’s (Matt Ward's) birthday. Whatever your dilemma may be, the bottom line is you’ve arrived at a crucial decision to make.

Let’s look at the main event first. The undefeated Bronze Bomber (41-0-1, 40 KOs) heads into this fight with his nearly untarnished record – we won’t talk about the Fury fight right now – against a man who many believe was seconds away from defeating him in their first encounter back in March 2018. One could make the argument that his opponent, Luis Ortiz (31-1-0, 26 KOs) had a potential victory thwarted by the bell in conjunction with the long leash afforded to the champ by the referee because, let’s be honest, the champ didn’t know what zip code he was in when Ortiz was bringing the fight to him in round seven of their first encounter. Unfortunately for Ortiz, he fell victim (as so many have) to “the big one” – a devastating uppercut delivered by Wilder in round ten that promptly ended the fight. 

This time around could prove to offer a different narrative. While Wilder undoubtedly has mowed through the Heavyweight Division – except for the Gypsy King – could he be underestimating and looking beyond Ortiz since this is not the fight he wants? Possibly. Rather than undermine Ortiz, I’d prefer to focus on the fact that he is one of a select few fighters who’ve ever really gotten to Wilder and taken him deep into a fight. Additionally, Ortiz appears to have taken his conditioning to a new level for this rematch and if it hasn’t hindered his power, that makes him exponentially more dangerous in my opinion. Thanks to Luis Cortes, The Weigh-In got an up close and personal look at King Kong’s media workout and he looks so primed to go, I needed to do a double take of his picture to realize it was actually him.

The card will also feature Leo Santa Cruz (36-1-1, 19 KOs) attempt to become a four-division world champion as he goes toe to toe with Miguel Flores (24-2-0, 12 KOs) for the vacant WBA Super Featherweight Title. This should prove to be a more than suitable fight as the first of three title bouts on the pay-per-view card. As long as you can get past Leo’s constant wrist turning – whether it be a nervous tick, timing mechanism, tool of deception for his opponent, etc. (if you didn’t notice it before, you will now so you’re welcome) - this should prove to be an exciting title bout. 

The co-feature on the card will pit Brandon Figueroa (20-0-0, 15 KOs) as he attempts to defend his WBA Super Bantamweight Title against Julio Ceja (32-4-0, 28 KOs). Figueroa, a fighter who I supplied ringside coverage of his battle with Oscar Escandon, when they aptly stepped into the main event slot of a card that was to be headlined by Victor Ortiz and John Molina – until Ortiz found himself in a legal quandary – proved he was ready for the spotlight and he now finds himself in his third fight of 2019.

So we now return to our initial question…Is the pay-per-view worth $74.99? Unfortunately, I can’t make that decision for you. All I can tell you is this is now a time for a little self-reflection and perhaps an opportunity for you to become a bit industrious and order the fight while charging a cover to your “friends.” Nonetheless, all of the action will come to you live this Saturday from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Fox Sports pay-per-view and via the Fox Sports app for $74.99.

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Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 Presents Figueroa vs. Escandon Preview

The PBC on FS1 will air live this Sunday, September 30, 2018 from the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California. The original card was scheduled to be headlined by what fight fans eagerly anticipated would be an absolute war between Victor Ortiz and gritty ring veteran John Molina Jr. Unfortunately, the fight was canceled Wednesday after Ortiz turned himself in to the Oxnard Police Department as a result of a warrant that was issued for his arrest citing three counts of felony sexual assault. Attempts were made to find a suitable substitution to fight Molina, however, these efforts proved to be fruitless on such short notice. This becomes a disappointing situation for Molina who reportedly held one of his toughest training camps in recent memory with hopes of attaining a victory that would propel him back into potential title contention.

The removal of the Ortiz vs. Molina showdown now clears the way for featherweight contenders Brandon Figueroa (16-0-0, 11 KOs) and Oscar Escandon (25-4-0, 17 KOs) to take center stage in the main event of the evening. This ten round attraction will be Figueroa’s longest scheduled bout to date and his third fight of 2018. Figueroa last stepped into the square circle on August 4 when he defeated Luis Roy Suarez Cruz by first round TKO. Oscar Escandon has not tasted victory since he became interim WBC World Featherweight Champion after he scored a seventh round KO on Robinson Castellanos back in March of 2016. Since then, he has suffered consecutive setbacks to Gary Russell Jr. in May 2017 by seventh round TKO and Tugstsogt Nyambayar in May 2018 by third round KO.

Another interesting bout on the card that has flown under the radar, and is oddly scheduled for only eight rounds, features super middleweight contender James DeGale (24-2-1, 14 KOs) squaring off with Fidel Monterrosa Munoz (39-18-1, 31 KOs). DeGale enters this contest on the heels of a unanimous decision victory over Caleb Truax in April 2018. This victory, however, was preceded by a string of tough luck that saw him lose a majority decision to Truax in December 2017 and fight to a majority draw with another top contender in Badou Jack back in January 2017. Hopefully for DeGale, this fight will end up being the tune-up it appears to be on paper because he is seemingly already in the crosshairs of Chris Eubank Jr. for a showdown later this year after Eubank’s opponent, JJ McDonagh, quit on the stool prior to round four Friday evening.

Be sure to follow The Weigh-In: Your Home For Combat Sports this Sunday for ringside coverage and results from this intriguing PBC on FS1 card!

-Steve Ward

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Victor Ortiz vs. Devon Alexander & Caleb Plant vs. Rogelio Medina

Victor Ortiz (32-6-2, 25 KOs) is scheduled to fight Devon Alexander (27-4, 14 KOs) on February 17, 2018 at the Don Haskins Convention Center in El Paso, Texas. The only other fight that has been announced for this card so far is a potential main event fight between undefeated super middleweight, Caleb Plant (16-0, 10 KOs), and veteran Mexican fighter, Rogelio Medina (38-8, 32 KOs). Ashland City, Tennessee's Plant last fought and defeated Andrew Hernandez (19-8-1, 9 KOs) via unanimous decision on September 8, 2017. Medina is coming off a September 1st TKO victory over Daniel Eduardo Yocupicio (6-42-2)... Yes, you are reading the number of losses for Yocupicio right!

Ortiz, who last fought on July 30, 2017, is coming off a fourth round knockout victory over Mexico's Saul Corral (27-10, 18 KOs). Many members of the boxing community question why the 30-year-old California resident has not hung up his gloves yet. Calls for his retirement date back to 2014, when his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, urged Ortiz to walk away from the sport after being viciously (no pun intended) knocked out in the second round by Luis Collazo (37-7, 20 KOs). At this point, it makes one wonder if Ortiz can't stop boxing for the love of the sport... After all, he has had opportunities outside of the ring, including film roles and an appearance on the television show, Dancing with the Stars. His opponent, Devon Alexander, is looking to continue his winning ways. Alexander last fought and defeated Walter Castillo (26-5-1, 19 KOs) in November, winning by unanimous decision. The number of rounds for this welterweight bout is yet to be determined, however, both Ortiz and Alexander last fought in a ten round contests.

(Victor Ortiz on Dancing with the Stars)

(Victor Ortiz on Dancing with the Stars)

MW

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Will the Real Boxing Fans Please Stand Up

"As fans, the situation could be worse." So says everyone that has to deal with the business aspect of boxing. I believe that if you really do care and are a fan of boxing, you are able to read in-between the lines. During the days when boxing only had baseball and horse racing as its rivals, sports fans understood the world of boxing and even excused how the business was handled. As times change, so does the thought process of the ultimate arbitrator, the fan.  

My introduction to this website dealt with the way responsibilities were handled within the world of boxing. The responsibilities I'm speaking of are the finger pointing that everyone does to avoid their part for the overall unfavorable way the public views boxing. If you have a misunderstanding of my initial contention please follow this link and listen (it may be a long diatribe, but I guarantee you will understand the rest of where I'm going a tad better).  

As I left the 2300 Arena following my interview with Matt Ward, and since that time, I wondered just what role or responsibility towards the determent of the sport, if any, do the fans play? Are they part of the problem by not truly supporting the sport? Yet they are willing to give their negative opinions on social media platforms whenever a negative element regarding the sport is in the forefront of the sporting news world. Are fans too quick to write off the sport and kick it when it’s on the canvas (admittedly boxing knocks itself down plenty of times)? With this on my mind, I came to the following conclusion regarding both the fans and the sport. 

Fans of boxing are already in the midst of this so called “mortuary-state” that the overall sports world and public claim boxing has sunk into. Nothing will be or can be done to repeat the days of years past when boxing results were on the front cover of newspapers, or for that matter, even covered in most major newspapers. As time passed, one thing in my daily life is a constant - Boxing is always present or is just around the corner in terms of the conversations I have with others. And, no, it's not just because I cover the sport or am considered an insider. Every time I open a social media platform, there are some deals being made between promoters and sports networks starving for more boxing content. Boxing is back in the daily discussion of the overall sports world, or at least, it is part of the weekly conversation.  

I'll admit I'm lucky to cover the sport in a city steeped in tradition, where a credible boxing gym is a stones throw away. Here, there are at least two or three major boxing cards in the city per month (That's not including cards in the New York or South Jersey areas). So it does make boxing as a constant in my life a bit easier.  However, places like Philadelphia and surrounding metro areas owe their flourishing boxing scenes to faithful fans. I'm honestly amazed at how many daily posts and conversations take place that are either sparked or driven by the thirst for information from boxing fans. Nothing is off limits from boxing fans, and the interaction between fans and boxing insiders (media, promotions, trainers, fighters, etc.) is something that has never been seen before in other professional sports.  

This is something that is a major difference from the "golden age" of boxing.  It's also something this scribe believes the sport needs more of.  Obviously, because it is good for the sport, but mainly because it's the open flow of dialogue that will keep the sport as honest as it has ever been.  If the fans have unprecedented access, their responsibility is to express their educated honesty about what they witness unfold in the business handling of the sport and the actual fights.

“Educated” being the ideal word in that last statement. We all are aware that along with the type of access I'm writing about, comes the opportunity for “trolls” or overall negative opinions to try and reign supreme in the boxing dialog. True educated fans can be the police that tell these no good "haters" what to do with their feedback that is not constructive to the overall dialog. Believe me fans, the boxing world takes notice and is grateful to those of you who already participate in this fashion.   

Every time I enter an arena where professional bouts are about to take place, fans are there ready to stake there claim as the loudest supporters of the fighters they are there to support. It is within these instances that my loathing for days gone by is excommunicated from my present state of mind. These are the same fans who are part of the daily dialog of the sport. It is always refreshing to witness fighters in victory or defeat addressing the fans who spend their hard earned money in order to support their dreams of glory.    

As I take my time and walk through any given “house” that holds a fight card, I realize to myself that certain fans have an unrelenting passion for the sport. For example, Jeff Rutizer is the epitome of a passion filled fan. Fighters, promoters, managers, and the media all know Jeff. He is a true fan that has traveled the area and built relationships with the aforementioned members of the boxing world. At times, Jeff can have more access than some media types, and rightfully so. He genuinely cares for the sport.

Fans, like Greg Bickel, also care about the sport. He had the pleasure of taking his young son to his first fight card at the SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia. While they may have been there to support Greg’s pal, heavyweight Joey Dawejko in his successful return to Philadelphia, his son was able to meet and take pictures with current lightweight champion Mikey Garcia. Greg’s son was treated to a great first experience at the fights, and will likely be a fan for years to come. Greg is also known to take trips to fights in New York and Atlantic City. Like Jeff Rutizer, he is an educated fan whose opinion is valued.  

This world of boxing access and knowledge is there for everyone to reach out and grab. If you are reading this, it's probably because you are already one of these fans, in which case for the entire world of boxing, I say thank you.   

If not, take the dive! Follow fighters based off of their style, swagger, or whatever it may be online.  Trust me, they will be happy to see you show up in times when a fans support is needed. Boxing is not dead, it will never die. What will keep it going is you, the fan. So get out there and support local shows. Don't be the fan on the sofa after a horrendous decision in a high profile fight, blasting on your social media that you hate boxing. Use it as the opportunity to separate yourself from the politics and let your educated voice be heard, by showing your support through the fighter, and ultimately for the sport. 

As a writer, I will commit my time to call out the unjust of what you get in the sport, to help you, the fan, with policing up the malarkey we experience as fans.  Maybe, just maybe, you should take time and invest in the sport.  If you truly love boxing, stick with a fighter; you'll know which one you support (sometimes it happens naturally). Start there and make sure you let those fighters know that you do support them. Trust me they will; win, lose, or draw they will appreciate your support.   

Support your local shows! If you don't know how to find local shows, go to Boxrec.com and search for your location. In this day and age, it isn’t that hard to find a local boxing show, especially if you live in California near the StubHub Center. 

Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) is actually hosting an upcoming fan fest at the StubHub Center. Check it out! Fighters like Mikey Garcia, Victor Ortiz, and Robert Guerrero will be on hand to sign autographs starting at 1:00 PM this Saturday, in support of the PBC boxing double header featuring Leo Santa Cruz and Abner Mares. Tickets for that show start at just $30.   

By all means if you live in the Philadelphia area, come by the press row and say hello to the media as well. If you think this article was full of “bologna”, please let me know, and I will be happy to hear your educated opinions as to why you believe so. 

Once again, if my examples remind you of yourself and the way you care for the sport, thank you, and...       

Till next time... FIGHTS, FIGHTS, AND MORE FIGHTS!!!

- Luis A. Cortes III

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8-Ounce Gloves

The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) has approved a request from the Mayweather and McGregor camps to change the size of the gloves from 10-ounces to 8-ounces just days before their August 26th circus in Las Vegas. This change came after both camps discussed and argued over the size of gloves to be used in the contest for the past few months. I have read a few articles and posts from people from the worlds of boxing and MMA who believe that this change will favor UFC star, Conor McGregor.

Some analysts consider this move to smaller gloves a foolish request from the Mayweather camp because their boxer's last knockout came in 2011 against Victor Ortiz. Furthermore, Mayweather has openly discussed his "brittle fists" to members of the media. Despite these factors, I still see Mayweather as the favorite because of his far superior boxing skills and defense. Mayweather will simply have to avoid big shots from McGregor, which I am confident he can and will. In regards to the NSAC, I'm very surprised to see this body make a change to the size of gloves this close to the bout. In my opinion this move plays right into the "soap opera" that is Mayweather vs. McGregor, and leaves me asking myself, what's going to happen next?

What do YOU think of this change to the size of gloves used in Mayweather vs. McGregor? Tell us in the comments section of this post!

MW

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